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【Text/Observer Network Lai Jiaqi】According to Reuters, Al Jazeera and other reports, on August 13 local time, a Bangladeshi court launched a murder investigation into the ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and six senior officials of her government, who were accused of being responsible for the deadly incidents during the violent protests in the country last month. A few hours later, Hasina made her first public statement after stepping down, calling for an investigation into the violence that led to her resignation and "punishing those who should be held responsible for the killings and sabotage."

The case launched on August 13 is related to a grocery store owner who was killed in violent demonstrations. According to Amir Hamza, who filed the lawsuit, grocery store owner Abu Saeed was hit by a bullet while crossing the road on July 19, when police were shooting at protesters in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Hamza said that because Saeed's family lacked the financial means to file a lawsuit, he, who had nothing to do with Saeed, filed a lawsuit against Hasina in court.

In addition to Hasina, the court also named six former senior government officials, including former Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, who have all resigned. The Associated Press reported on August 14 that the Bangladesh police arrested two former Bangladeshi lawmakers and Hasina's close allies the day before on suspicion of killing a 26-year-old college student.

Just hours after the case was filed against her, Hasina issued a statement in Bengali through her son on the X platform, calling for an investigation into the violent protests that led to her ouster and demanding "punishment of those responsible for the killings and destruction." It was her first public statement since she stepped down on August 5 and fled Bangladesh.

On the same day as her statement, the interim government of Bangladesh cancelled the August 15 public holiday in memory of Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a leader of the Bangladesh War of Independence and the country's first president, at the request of seven political parties, including the former main opposition Nationalist Party. Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was killed in a military coup in 1975 along with most of his family. Hasina and her sister were not in Bangladesh at the time and survived. After Hasina stepped down, protesters set fire to her father's house in Dhaka, which had previously been turned into a memorial.

In a statement, Hasina said that she and her sister dedicated her father's house to the people of Bangladesh, but now he has been severely humiliated. Hasina urged people to commemorate the National Day of Mourning on August 15 "with proper dignity" and called on supporters to gather in Dhaka on that day and lay wreaths in front of the memorial museum to mourn her father.

Hasina, who will turn 77 in September, was elected as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the fourth consecutive time in January this year. During her 15-year term, she skillfully balanced relations with major powers and lifted millions of Bangladeshis out of poverty by vigorously developing the garment industry. However, Hasina's critics call her a "dictator" who used means such as the "civil servant quota system" to win over interest groups and get re-elected.

In June this year, the Bangladesh High Court ruled to restore the "civil servant quota system", which aroused dissatisfaction among students and youth groups. In order to quell the protests, the Bangladesh Supreme Court ruled on July 21 to significantly reduce the quota to 7%. The student group "Students Against Discrimination" that organized the protests welcomed the ruling, but decided to continue the demonstration until the government releases those arrested and the officials responsible for the violence resign, and other key demands are met.

On August 2, Hasina announced an "indefinite nationwide curfew," shutting down the Internet and giving a three-day holiday starting from August 5. But this did not stop the protesters. Two days later, the conflict intensified, resulting in the death of 91 people, including military and police officers. Demonstrators rushed to the Prime Minister's Office and other places. Hasina and her family boarded an armed helicopter and fled in a hurry on August 5. After Hasina fled, the parliament was dissolved and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the country's interim leader.

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